Machine for cutting vegetables or the like material



Dec. 6, 1949 E. NELSON ET AL MACHINE FOR CUTTING VEGETABLES OR THE LIKE MATERIAL 4 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1947 9 1949 E. NELSON ET AL 2,490,455

MACHINE FOR CUTTING' VEGETABLES OR THE LIKE MATERIAL Filed Aug. 15-, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 6, 1949 E. NELSON ET AL v MACHINE FOR CUTTING VEGETABLES OR THE LIKE MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 15, 1947 @IIJW Inventors Dec. 6, 1949 E. NELSON ET AL I MACHINE FOR CUTTING VEGETABLES OR THE LIKE MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 15, l947 Fig.5.

Patented Dec. 6, 1949 MACHINE FOR CUTTING VEGETABLES OR THE LIKE MATERIAL Ernest Nelson, Harold Nelson, Thomas Butler Nelson, and Frank Nelson, Preston, England Application August 15, 1947, Serial N0. 768,846 In Great'Bl-itain February 5, 1947 8 Claims. (Cl. 146-78) The present invention relates to an improved machine for the cutting of potatoes and other root crops into small pieces. a

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine which will be of simple construction and by which at will root crops such as potatoes may be either delivered in the form of thin slices or alternatively in the form of chips or bars.

According to the present invention a horizontal rotary blade finger periodically passes over the face of the outlet of a hopper for the potatoes or other material to sever slices therefromj this material being supported between successive passes of the blade by means of a plate disposed in spaced relationship to the outlet of the hopper.

The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which-' Fig. l is a side elevation of one form of construction of machine,

Fig. 2 is a corresponding end view,

Fig. 3 is a corresponding plan view, partly in section,

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the chip or bar cutting device on an enlarged scale,

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the support for the chip or bar cutting bladesmounting.

An electric motor I or other prime mover mounted on a frame 2 drives by means of a pulley 3 and belt 4 a pulley 5 on a shaft 6 mounted in a bearing 1 on the frame 2. This shaft 6 carries a blade finger 8 and, angularly displaced therefrom, a sweeper arm 25.

As will be seen, the blade finger 8 periodically sweeps over the base ID of a hopper ll into which root crops to be sliced are placed, this hopper being preferably provided with an internal guard I2, so that the operator can not directly obtain access to the base l0 and thus run the risk of having his fingers severed by this rotary blade 8 when the machine is in operation.

Mounted about the shaft 8 is a bush l3 carrying a plate M. It will consequently be seen that articles such as potatoes will fall through the opening in the base [0 of the hopper and will temporarily be supported upon the plate I4 until a slice is cut therefrom, whereupon this slice passes through an opening 35 in plate 14 and comes to rest on plate 24, then the slice is swept round the plate 24 by means of the sweeper arm 25 until it comes over a chute is down which it can fall into a suitable receptacle.

The bush l3 has a collar l1 upon it in which can engage a roller I8 on a lever I9 pivoted at 20 to the frame, which lever is can be set in any position of adjustment by means of a set-screw 2| mounted in a bush 22 on the frame and having a pin and slot connection 23 with the lever l9. It will consequently be seen that by suitably adlusting the set-screw 2| the spacing of the plate l4 from the base of the hopper l I can be adjusted as desired to give any desired thickness of slice. The plate 24 is perforated to be guided on spindles I5 supported in the frame of the machine and is supported on compression springs 31 resting on collars 36 on the spindles l5 so that it will be permanently elastically held against the lower end of fingers 26 on the sweeper arm 25.

The severed slice of potato or other vegetable will then fall past the narrow platform l4 upon which it has been supported whilst it has been cut by the blade 8, and will fall upon the base platform 24 and will finally be swept off this platform 24 through a gap in it by .means of the sweeper arm 25 to fall down upon the chute I6 and be ejected.

Should, however, it be desired that this slice be severed into slivers or bars, then this sweeper arm 25, which has-a number of projecting teeth 28 in the form of a comb (see Fig. 4), will serve to push the slices against a plurality of parallel blades 21 which can be brought up through a gap in the platform 24 by means of an operating handle 28. These blades 21 are mounted on a holder 29 pivoted at 30 to a bracket 3| on the frame, which holder 29 is perforated to receive the shaft 32 of the handle 28 which is displaceable axially, sothat its end 33 can either engage a socket in the frame locking the blades 27 in the position of Fig. 6, or this can be withdrawn to turn the blades round into the position shown in Fig. 5, in which case the end 33 of the shaft 32 of the handle 28 can engage into a socket 34 in the frame.

We claim as our invention:

1. A machine for cutting vegetables including in combination a hopper, a rotary blade, means to sweep said blade over the mouth of the hopper, a gapped supporting plate beneath the mouth of said hopper to support vegetables projecting through the mouth of the hopper between successlve passes of the blade, means to rotate said plate in synchronism with the blade, a second plate disposed below said supporting plate and slidably mounted upon spindles disposed around its periphery, a sweeper arm rotating in synchronism with the blade, depending fingers on said sweeper arm, springs on said spindles maintaining said second plate in contact with the lower ends of said fingers, and a plurality of cutting 5; blades disposed in a plane at right angles to said plate in synchronism with the blade, a second" plate disposed below said supporting plate and;

slidably mounted upon spindles disposed around its periphery, sweeper arm rotating in synchroniSm with the blade, depending fingers on said sweeper arm, springs maintaining said second plate in contact with the lower ends of said .fin gers, a plurality of cutting blades disposed in a:

plane at right angles to said second plate and spaced similarly to saidfingers to allow these to pass between the blades, and means to displace said cuttin blades from a position in which they lie within range of said fingers to a position in which they lie out of range of said fingers.

3. A machine for cutting vegetables including in combination a hopper, a rotary blade, means to sweep said blade over the mouth of the hopper, a supporting plate beneath the mouth of said hopper to support vegetables projecting through the mouth of the hopper between successive passes of the blade, means to rotate said plate in synchronism with the blade, means to interrupt the support by said plate of a severed piece, means to adjust the spacing of said supporting plate relatively to the mouth of said hopper, a second plate disposed below said supporting plate and slidably mounted upon spindles disposed around its periphery, a sweeper arm rotating in synchronism with the blade, depending fingers on said sweeper arm, springs on said spindles maintaining said second plate in contact with the lower ends of said fingers, and a plurality of cutting blades dis,- posed in a plane at right angles to said secgnd plate and spaced similarly to said, fingers to allow these to pass between the blades.

4. A machine for cutting vegetables including in combination a hopper, a rotary blade, means to sweep said blade over the mouth of the hopper, a Supporting plate beneath the mouth of the hopper to support vegetables projecting through the mouth of said hopper between successive passes of the blade, means to rotate said plate in synchronism with the blade, means to interrupt the support by said plate of a severed piece, means to adjust the spacing of said supporting plate relatively to the mouth of said hopper, asecond'plate disposed below said supporting plat andslidably' mounted upon spindles disposed around its periphery, a sweeper arm rotating in synchronism with the blade, depending fingers on said sweeper arm, springs maintaining said second plate in contact with the lower ends of said fingers, a plurality of cutting blades disposed in a plane at right angles to said second plate andspaced similarly to said fingers to allow these to pass be: tween the blades, and means to-displa'ce said cutting blades from a position in which they lie within range of said fingers to a position in which they lie out of range of said fingers.

5. A machine for cutting vegetables including in combination a hopper, a rotary blade, means-to sweep said blade .over the mouth of said hopper including a shaft carrying said blade, a supporting plate beneath the mouth of said hopper to support vegetables projecting through the mouth 4 of the hopper between successive passes of the blade, means to rotate said supporting plate in synchronism with the blade including a bush attached to said supporting plate and slidably mounted on said shaft, means to interrupt the support by said plate of a severed piece, means to adjust the spacing of said supporting plate relatively to the mouth of said hopper including a lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof to the frame of the machine, intermediate the ends of said lever a roller co-operating with a circumferentially grooved portion of said bush and means for adjusting the position of the outer end of said lever, a second plate disposed below said supporting plate and slidably mounted upon spindles disposed around its periphery, a sweeper arm rotating in synchronism with the blade, depending fingers, on said sweeper arm, springs on said spindles maintaining said second plate in contact with the lower ends of said fingers, and a plurality of cutting blades disposed in a plane at right angles to said second plate and spaced similarly to said fingers to allow these to pass between the blades.

6. A machine for cutting vegetables including in combination a hopper, a rotary blade, means to sweep said blade over the mouth of said hopper including a shaft carrying said blade, a supporting plate beneath the mouth of said hopper to support vegetables projecting through the mouth of said hopper between successive passes of the blade, means to rotate said supporting plate in synchronism with said blade including a bush attached to said supporting plate and slidably mounted on said shaft, means to interrupt the support by said plate of a severed piece, means to adjust the spacing of said supporting plate relatively to the mouth of said hopper including a lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof to the frame of the machine, intermediate the ends of said lever a roller cooperating with a circumferentially grooved portion of said bush and means for adjusting the position of the outer end of said lever, a second plate disposed below said supporting plate and slidably mounted upon spindles disposed around its periphery, a sweeper arm rotating in synchronism with the blade, depending fingers on said sweeper arm, springs maintaining said second plate in contact with the lower ends of said fingers, a plurality of cutting blades disposed in a plane at right angles to said second plate and spaced similarly to said fingers to allow these to pass between the blades, and means to displace said cutting blades from a position in which they lie within range of said fingers to a position in which they lie out of range of said fingers.

7. A machine for cutting vegetables including in combination a hopper, a rotary blade,

means to sweep said blade over the mouth of said hopper including a shaft carrying said blade, a supporting plate beneath the mouthof said hopper to support vegetables projecting through the mouth of the hopper between successive passes of the blade, means to rotate said supporting plate in synchronism with the blade including a bush attached to said supporting plate and slidably mounted on said shaft, means to interrupt the support by said plate of a severed piece, means to adjust the spacing of said supporting plate relatively to the mouth of said hopper including a lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof to the frame of the machine, intermediate the ends of said lever a roller cooperating with a circumferentially grooved portion of said bush and means for adjusting the position of the outer end of said lever, a second plate disposed below said supporting plate and slidably mounted upon spindles disposed around its periphery, a sweeper arm rotatin coaxially with and in synchronism with said blade, depending fingers on said sweeper arm, springs on said spindles maintaining said second plate in contact with the lower ends of said fingers, and a plurality of cutting blades disposed in a plane at right angles to said second plate and spaced similarly to said fingers to allow these to pass between the blades.

8. A machine for cutting vegetables including in combination a hopper, a rotary blade, means to sweep said blade over the mouth of said hopper including a shaft carrying said blade, a supporting plate beneath the mouth of said hopper to support vegetables projecting through the mouth of said hopper between successive passes of the blade, means to rotate said supporting plate in synchronism with said blade including a bush attached to said supporting plate and slidably mounted on said shaft, means to interrupt the support by said plate of a severed piece, means to adjust the spacing of said supporting plate relatively to the mouth of said hopper including a lever pivotally mounted at one end to theframe of the machine, intermediate the ends of said lever a roller co-operating with a circumferentially grooved portion of said bush and means for adjusting the position of the outer end of said lever, a second plate disposed below said supporting plate and slidperiphery, a sweeper arm rotating coaxially with and in synchronism with said blade, depending fingers on said sweeper arm, springs on said spindles maintaining said second plate in contact with the lower ends of said fingers, a plurality of cutting blades disposed in a plane at right angles to said second plate and placed similarly to said fingers to allow these to pass between the blades, and means to displace said cutting blades from a position in which they lie within range of said fingers to a position in which they lie out of the range of said fingers.

ERNEST NELSON.

HAROLD NELSON.

THOMAS BUTLER NELSON.

FRANK NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 308,629 Reed Dec. 2, 1884 335,664 Wicker Feb. 9, 1886 675,284 Matthiessen May 28, 1901 1,297,373 Luther Mar. 18, 1919 1,794,743 Urschel Mar. 3-, 1931 1,939,279 Rogalewski Dec. 12, 1933 2,076,749 Spires et al Apr. 13, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 307,230 Germany Aug. 5, 1918 

